Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-14
FOOD ADULTERATION.

A very large and representative meeting
was held in New York city the other day
to protest against the alarming extent of
adulteration of food, and to take steps to
break up the evil. 1t is gratifying fact
that the attendance included some of the
| foremost grocers and producers in the
country. Very few people have a true
conception of the extent of adulteration
OF the food supplies of the country. Some
of the commonest articles of everyday
food use are heavily charged with foreign
and deleterious substances. When a new
food preparation first appears, it is pretty
sure to be pure, but just as soon as it comes
into general use, the swindle of adulter-
alton begins, and presently the article is
not fit for use, though the fraud is dis
guised so as to deceive most consumers.
All berry goods that are put up ground are
especially subject to the skill of the swim
ding manufacturer, which is not unfre-
quently supplemented by the knavery of
the retailer. Most liquid food supplies
have been adulterated from time to time
Ninegars, syrups, sances. etc, suffer
severely, and package goods of many kinds
are made more or less injurious by adulter-
alton. Liquors and wines are, of all con-
sumed products, most tempered with, and
it seems all but impossible to reach the
evil effectually in such cases, but it can be
greatly lessened by union of effort.
1t would be a work Of great labor and
extent to even refer to the more promi-
nent authorizations of food-for they relate
to the very staples of life, and to all the
luxuries. The great significance of the
meeting in New York is that the grocers
of that city, and adjoining cities, attended
and heartily Endorsed the proposition to
choke off adulteration, and Immediately
gave emphasis to their protest by begin
ming the work of excluding adulter-
ated goods These men have at last
awakened to the truth, that they will
make more money Sin the long run" by
selling pure articles. than those that are
cheats. The demand increases and the
price asked is better and more readily paid
when the consumer knows that he is get
ting pure or genuine article.
New Jersey has an anti-adulteration law,
and the Legislature of the past winter set
apart $4,000 to be used in aiding officers
to enforce the law 1t was the influence
of the New Jersey statute that brought on
the movement in New York. Standing
alone the consumers can do very little
against adulteration. They constitute so
large class that they cannot be organized
with any kind Of ease, and in so many
cases their needs compel them to buy as
cheaply as they can, so that there is Gre
ated a strong temptation to cheaper goods
by adulteration, to answer the demands of
the poor. But with the grocers on the
side of the consumer the task of bringing
the manufacturer and packer to terms is
comparatively easy. 1t has been found
not difficult to enforce the law against
bogus butter, and for the protection of
pure butter, but while it will be more
serious task in the case of other staple
food, yet it can be done, and pure sup
plies had, if the middlemen prove true to
their new resolution.
OF course there can be made no defense
of adulteration, though it is attempted by
manufacturers. When the consumer asks
for milk, butter, coffee, tea, sugar, pepper,
spices, syrups, and so on, he is entitled to
receive those goods and not their counter
feits, or any mixtures resembling them
Ii few grocers and consumers in Cali
fornia would combine to resist food swim
dies they could easily prevent them. Most
OF those from which we suffer in Califor-
MIA relate to goods not originating in Cali
fornia, and they are comparatively easy of
detection. The adulteration of those pre-
pared abroad is extensive, as is proven by
the meeting referred to- and as consumers
all know. Still there is some hurtful adul-
teration Of home-produced food supplies
practiced in this State, and therefore the
New York protest and action might very
well be copied by our home consumers
and middlemen.